# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1941_S174
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

172 Reports on General Missions

Lack of man-power makes it impossible to heed the pleas coming
to us from larger groups of Christians without shepherds. Our
Missions to the Deaf and Blind show real progress. New fields
are being developed, particularly in the South. The convention
will receive detailed reports on the various synodical activities.

‘During the past triennium fine progress was made in the co-
ordination of the spiritual care of our students in non-synodical
institutions of learning, since a regularly called Student Welfare
Secretary is at work. More than 10,000 of our youth are enrolled
in these non-synodical institutions.

Our churches responded nobly to the requests to take care
of the 10,000 and more trainees whom we expect to be called to
the colors. Let us be equally concerned about the 10,000 or more
of our youth exposed to similar and even greater spiritual
dangers at the non-synodical universities and colleges of the land.

The Institutional Missions have developed in nearly every
-Pistrict. From year to year they are increasing in importance.
Though we cannot expect to establish self-sustaining congrega~-
tions through Institutional Missions, the opportunities for soul-
saving through the Gospel nevertheless are tremendous.

But there still is room everywhere. Everywhere the doors are
wide open, at home and in our foreign fields. If time permits,
some of the missionaries from distant lands will in person tell of
their work.

The War and Its Influence on Our Missions.— War and its
devastating influences have always been instruments in the hands
of the Evil One to hinder the progress of the kingdom of Christ.
We therefore need not be amazed to hear that the times we live, in
are fraught with many dangers for our work.

In the war-stricken areas of China our Christians were in many
instances scattered far and wide to communities unknown to them
and out of reach of their shepherds. Frequently their services
were disturbed —their places of worship wrecked by ruthless
bombings.

Some of the churches in European countries were deprived of
the ministrations of their pastors, the latter being drafted into the
military service of their respective countries or put in prison, or
they were among refugees.

The war has increased the work of the Church at home and
abroad. The National Defense Program has caused new industries
to spring up in territories heretofore not served by our Church.
it has called to the colors thousands of young men,—to the far-
flung training camps, to the military and naval bases of our
country, — which necessitated the release of a larger number of
our pastors for chaplain duties.